11 Epic Controversies in Dinosaur Naming

From Mental Floss: 11 Epic Controversies in Dinosaur Naming
Naming a dinosaur is no easy task. Beneath the apparent mess of prolonged syllables and technical jargon, a vast array of unexpected factors—from politics and religion to wordplay and spelling—can dictate which dino moniker gets officially recognized and which “-saurus” goes extinct. Here are eleven of the all-time greatest showdowns in the storied history of dinosaur nomenclature.

1. “Scrotum humanum,” The World’s First Dinosaur

Wikimedia Commons
Behold “Scrotum humanum”, the very first dinosaur name ever coined. In 1763, British naturalist Richard Brookes was shown a femur fragment which he named for the infamous piece of the male genitalia he felt it resembled (I’ll let you figure out which). Scientists never took this seriously and now know the creature as Megalosaurus. In the 1980s, a vocal minority contended that, due to seniority, “Scrotum” should be reinstated. The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) disagreed and ruled in favor of its more tasteful alternative.

2. T. rex on Trial (Part I)

Getty Images
Thinking he’d found two new dinosaurs, paleontologist H.F. Osborn named them Tyrannosaurus rex and “Dynamosaurus imperiosus” in the same 1905 paper, before realizing that these bone-crunching predators were one and the same. Scientifically, the first name given to an organism in an academic paper takes priority and Osborn happened to have mentioned T. rex on page 262 and “D. imperiosus” on 263—meaning one page of data saved T.rex. BUT WAIT! Stay tuned for another threat to the “tyrant lizard king!”

3. Triceratops vs. Torosaurus

Renowned paleontologist Jack Horner has recently argued that Triceratops and fellow frilled dino Torosaurus were really the same beast. But fear not, Triceratops groupies: the more recognizable name emerged 2 years earlier. Ergo, regardless of the debate’s outcome, everyone’s favorite three-horned herbivore is perfectly safe (if it weren’t already extinct, that is).

4. “Ultrasauros” vs. Procrastination

BYU’s late, great James “Dinosaur Jim” Jensen coined the name Ultrasaurus in 1979. Unfortunately, he didn’t publish his paper on the long-necked dinosaur (“sauropod”) until 1985. By then, Korean paleontologist Haang Mook Kim had independently used Ultrasaurus to designate a completely different animal. D’Oh! Not wanting to lose his awesome name, Jensen replaced the third “u” with an “o” to create “Ultrasauros.” Alas, it later turned out that the “Ultrasauros” material really belonged to a Supersaurus, which had been dubbed earlier by none other than Jensen himself. At least Supersaurus is still pretty cool, unlike the name a certain sauropod got saddled with. More on that later…

5. Arkansaurus vs. “Arkanosaurus” (vs. Bill Clinton)

“Arkanosaurus” and Arkansaurus fridayi were both used as names for Arkansas’ only known dinosaur, until the latter eventually won. Some speculate that Arkansaurus may have been intended as a state-based pun. While this is uncertain, at least a few political punsters definitely did latch onto the dinosaur: former governor Bill Clinton was nicknamed “Arkansaurus taxandspendus” by American conservatives in his 1996 presidential run.

6. Iguanodon vs. the World

Replica tooth. Wikimedia Commons
Before the word “dinosaur” was even invented, the wife of Sussex doctor Gideon Mantell stumbled upon a fossilized tooth in 1825 and the scientific community laughed at his imaginative assertion that it had belonged to an enormous, plant-eating reptile. Since huge, scaly herbivores don’t exist in his day, referring to the tooth’s owner as Iguanodon—or “iguana tooth”—seemed ludicrously inappropriate when an ancient rhinoceros looked like its most likely source. But as more complete fossils confirming Mantell’s hypothesis began to turn up en masse, the magnificent reality of these creatures was celebrated the world over, and Iguanodon turned into a household name.

7. T. rex on Trial (Part II)

For two incomplete vertebrae, famed paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope invented the clunky moniker Manospondylus gigas in 1892. In 2000, it was confirmed that his specimens were identical to T. rex backbones, and some worried that the world’s most famous dinosaur would have to be rechristened. However, a new ICZN rule enacted that year included a loop-hole allowing secondary names to take priority if the original wasn’t deemed valid after 1899. Since M. gigas was never widely used after the cutoff date, the “tyrant lizard king” was saved.

8. Archaeopteryx vs. “Griphosaurus”

Wikimedia Commons
Named by in 1861 by Christian Erich Hermann von Meyer and meaning “ancient wing,” Archaeopteryx lithographica has long been recognized as a “missing link” between modern birds and their dinosaurian ancestors. Von Meyer’s rival, Johann Andreas Wagner, denied that this was a transitional fossil and proposed calling it “Griphosaurus problematicus” (“the problematic griffin lizard”) later that year. “Darwin and his adherents,” he wrote, “will probably employ the new discovery as … justification of their strange views upon the transformation of animals. But in this they will be wrong.” His pointed words fell on deaf ears, and Meyer’s name (like Darwin’s theory) won out.

9. The “Big Dead Lizard”

The name Syntarsus was accidentally given to two creatures: a predator, discovered by paleontologist Mike Raath in 1969, that lived approximately 180 million years ago; and a modern beetle that had been found a century earlier. So insect expert Michael Ivie formally re-named Raath’s dino Megapnosaurus, which literally means “big, dead lizard” as a joking dig at dinosaur science. Paleontologists weren’t laughing. Livid that his life’s work underwent a name change without his input, Raath wrote, “I am myself very disappointed that the normal dictates of professional courtesy, let alone professional ethics, have apparently been disregarded.” To many colleagues, the fact that this dinosaur now went by a deliberately silly title was salt thrown on an open wound. Ivie’s actions remain a touchy subject worldwide.

10. Presumptuous Protoavis

Wikimedia Commons
Protoavis really ruffles some feathers. When Sankar Chaterjee called a partial skeleton he’d found Protoavis texensis in 1991, he believed that it was a primitive bird, thus pushing the date of avian origins back by roughly 60 million years. His bold claim has since been almost universally rejected, making a name that literally means “first bird” one of the most controversial in modern science (in fact, Protoavis might not have even existed at all, for its bones appear to belong to several different animals).

11. “Brontosaurus” Thunders Off

As many of us know, the celebrated “Brontosaurus” never existed. In 1879, legendary fossil hunter Othneil Charles Marsh discovered a nearly-perfect sauropod skeleton. Calling it “Brontosaurus” (“thunder lizard”), he put it on display with the head of a Brachiosaurus that had been found nearby at a different site (since nobody likes a decapitated dino). “Brontosaurus” sank into limbo in 1903, when paleontologists found that it was identical to Apatosaurus (“deceptive lizard”), a sauropod named in 1877. Yet, bronto-lovers can take heart in maverick paleontologist Robert Bakker, who’s argued that the original “Brontosaurus” skeleton is unique enough to merit its own genus, meaning its name would be at long last restored. Most scientists dismiss these claims, so the odds are slim. But maybe one day, “Brontosaurus” will stomp into our museums once more, just as it roams through our imaginations.
Mark Mancini attends Stony Brook University.

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How to reconstruct DNA: Jurassic Park Builder hints, tips, and tricks

From Pocket Gamer:  How to reconstruct DNA: Jurassic Park Builder hints, tips, and tricks

Back in 1993, I sat next to my mother in a Liverpool cinema and watched Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park for the very first time.

Ever since that moment, I've wanted the chance to create my very own Isla Nublar facility. You've no doubt wanted to do the same.

Ludia's Jurassic Park Builder allows you to realise this dream, construct a personal prehistoric zoo, and take care of your favourite dinosaurs, including the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex.

There's lots of work to be done, mind, so we've decided to lend a helping hand. Here's our guide to Jurassic Park Builder.

The basics


When you fire up Jurassic Park Builder for the very first time, you'll notice that there are five resource icons displayed at the top of your device's screen.

The first of these icons is your park's level. You can increase this level by completing missions and other tasks around your park. As your level increases, you gain access to new buildings and items.

The next two icons are your food stores. The first of these displays the number of crops you have in storage, while the second displays the amount of meat you own. You can acquire crops and meat - which are used to feed your dinosaurs - through your harbour.

The second-to-last icon on your screen is the amount of Gold that you have in your bank. You can spend Gold - which you earn as you complete missions and regularly check on your dinosaurs - on buildings, decorations, and research projects.

Finally, the last icon displays the number of Bucks you have. This is Jurassic Park Builder's premium currency. Bucks are rare and are earned in very small amounts as you level-up and complete certain tasks.

Naturally, packs of Bucks are available through in-app purchases for as little as £1.49 / $1.99, but you can also grab some by tapping on in-game offers. Visit Tapjoy on your device and earn even more by installing and running a selection of free games.

Stomp around


As you can imagine, dinosaurs are the most important part of your park. You create dinos by reconstructing DNA in your research centre. DNA is found periodically in balls of preserved amber, which are discovered as you expand your park.

The dinosaurs that you place in your park produce Gold coins at regular intervals. You can collect these coins and add them to your bank simply by tapping on them.

Each of your dinosaurs has its own unique level, which dictates the level of income you earn from them at said intervals. This level increases gradually as you feed your little critters, so it's important to keep them well fed.

Basically, the higher a dinosaur's level, the more money you'll make from it.

As previously mentioned, you obtain food from the two right-most buildings in your harbour. You can upgrade these buildings to increase the amount of grub you get for your precious Gold coins.

We suggest you upgrade these whenever you get the chance.

Why do you build me up?


Buildings are another great, albeit less entertaining, source of income.

Restaurants, museums, towers, and diners all produce revenue at random intervals - in the same way that dinosaurs provide you with riches - which you collect with a simple tap.

We normally suggest that you stay clear of decorations in these types of games, but - to be fair - they're normally completely useless. In Jurassic Park Builder, however, they aren't.

Decorations in this build-'em-up grant revenue bonuses to your dinosaurs and other attractions, so try to place some in your park whenever you have a few Gold coins lying around.

Best viewed with friends


If you know some of your friends are also playing Jurassic Park Builder, be sure to add them to your in-game friends list - they can help you with your research projects if you do.

Unfortunately, you can't invite your buddies via Game Center, so you're stuck using one of the other three available methods: Facebook, SMS, and email.

SMS messages cost real-world cash (if you don't have a contract), so be careful.

Mission accepted


Dr Alan Grant, John Hammond, and various other characters from the Jurassic Park franchise will pop up from time to time to give you missions.

These missions normally involve your constructing specific buildings, feeding animals a set number of times, and performing upgrades.

Thankfully, they're all pretty straightforward tasks.

For completing missions, you are rewarded with Gold coins and experience points. These missions also often act as a guide to what to fill your park with. Definitely try to complete as many as you can.

Tip of the tooth


- Use Red Alert Mode whenever you have the chance to. Through this mini-game, which tasks you with tapping on your dinosaurs before they escape, you can earn large quantities of Gold.

- Try to build your food stores up by placing orders at your harbour as often as possible.

- Place more than one decoration around a single attraction or structure to apply multiple bonuses to it.

 

Dinosaurs may have used flashy feathers to woo potential mates

From Newstrack India:  Dinosaurs may have used flashy feathers to woo potential mates

Washington, October 28 (ANI): Researchers have discovered lengthy wisps on a sexually mature adult dinosaurs, but absent in the toddler specimen of the same species.
Sine these feathers were seen only on sexually mature adults and not in the younger dinosaur, the investigators suggested they might have used them to woo potential mates like peacock,
These findings also shed light on the origin of wings and feathered flight, scientists added.
Birds are the last living lineage of dinosaurs. Their predatory dinosaur ancestors and relatives apparently were covered in feathers as well. These downy coats probably helped to keep them warm at first.
It remains hotly debated how the ancestors of birds evolved key traits that allowed them to fly, such as long, strong feathers. To answer this mystery, researchers investigated fossils of a dinosaur called Ornithomimus edmontonicus.
These included a turkey-size juvenile about a year old and about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long, and two ostrich-size adults about 10 years old and about 12 feet (4 m) long.
"The most recent ideas about Ornithomimus was that it was herbivorous. They superficially resembled ostriches, with a toothless beak, large eyes, long legs, long tail, and now we know they had feathers, but these animals were not closely related to ostriches," said researcher Darla Zelenitsky, a paleontologist at the University of Calgary.
The 71-million-year-old bones were excavated from the badlands of Alberta, Canada.
"The climate in the area 71 million years ago was warm and wet, subtropical, very much like that seen today in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana. There would have been swamps and lots of water-loving conifers," said researcher Francois Therrien, a paleontologist at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Canada.
Famous dinosaurs in that area included predatory tyrannosaurs, the duck-billed hadrosaurs, heavily armored ankylosaurs, and horned dinosaurs known as ceratopsians. Crocodiles and turtles were also common. [Avian Ancestors: Dinosaurs That Learned to Fly]
All three Ornithomimus specimens were apparently covered in stringy down - filamentlike feathers up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) long.
"These are the first feathered dinosaur specimens from the Western Hemisphere. They've never been found in North or South America before - before this, they were previously almost exclusively found in northern China," Zelenitsky said.
In addition, one adult also had markings on its winglike forelimbs that suggest it bore longer feathers, ones that apparently possessed stiff shafts down the middle much like the feathers found on the wings of flying birds today.
"We don't know how long the shafted feathers were on the adult 'wings. But, based on the size of the markings, we think the 'wing feathers' would have been much longer than the filamentous feathers,'" Therrien said.
Many of the feathered dinosaurs found in China are older than Ornithomimus. However, Ornithomimus comes from a lineage of dinosaurs that arose earlier than some of those unearthed in China. As such, one can consider the "wings" seen in Ornithomimus "the most primitive occurrence of winglike structures in the dinosaurs leading to birds," Zelenitsky said.
Since the younger dinosaur apparently did not possess long feathers on its forelimbs, the investigators suggest these plumes were not used for flight - otherwise, younger, lighter dinosaurs that were more capable of flight might have possessed them.
Instead, the fact these feathers were seen only on sexually mature adults hints they may have used them for reproductive activities such as courtship or brooding, much as peacocks use their outrageously large feathers to woo females. Over time, the ancestors of birds may have adapted these long feathers for flight.
Intriguingly, these new fossils were discovered in ancient river deposits, as opposed to the ancient lake deposits where feathered dinosaurs are often found in China.
"River deposits are much more common than lake deposits," Zelenitsky said.
"I think it's quite possible that people have not really focused on finding feathered dinosaurs in river deposits because they were expecting to be preserved in the quiet water and muddy conditions seen in lake deposits. This might open up possibilities to find feathered dinosaurs in lots of places where people were not expecting."
The scientists detailed their findings in latest issue of the journal Science. (ANI)

 

Bones of 'living fossil' found in Texas

From UPI.com:  Bones of 'living fossil' found in Texas

UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- A 100-million-year-old coelacanth fossil discovered in Texas is that of a new species of the fish often called a "living fossil," paleontologists say.
The coelacanth has one of the longest lineages -- 400 million years -- of any animal, and they were thought to have gone extinct 70 million years ago until live specimens were caught off the coast of Africa in 1938. Today, they can be found swimming in the depths of the Indian Ocean.
The coelacanth is often called a "living fossil" because it has not evolved significantly since reaching its current form about 400 million years ago.
Southern Methodist University paleontology graduate student John F. Graf discovered the Texas fossil, the first found in the state that has been dated to the Cretaceous period extending from 146 million years ago to 66 million years ago.
The new species, found in ancient marine sediments in North Texas and dubbed Reidus hilli, is now the youngest coelacanth fossil identified in the Lone Star State, he said.
Previously the youngest was a 200-million-year-old coelacanth from the Triassic.
"What makes the coelacanth interesting is that they are literally the closest living fish to all the vertebrates that are living on land," Graf said. "They share the most recent common ancestor with all of terrestrial vertebrates."
While coelacanth fossils have been found on every continent except Antarctica, few have been found in Texas, an SMU release said.

Reanalysis of 4-Winged Dinosaur May Illuminate Evolution of Bird Flight

From Scientific American:  Reanalysis of 4-Winged Dinosaur May Illuminate Evolution of Bird Flight

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Model of Microraptor gui, a feathered dinosaur. Image: David Krentz

RALEIGH, N.C.—How did the ancestors of birds evolve the ability to fly? That birds are descended from small, meat-eating dinosaurs is established. Exactly how the creatures conquered the air remains a mystery, however. Now the authors of a new study of a controversial feathered dinosaur say they have resolved a key aspect of the problem—namely, how the animals controlled their flight once they became airborne.

Two theories have dominated the long-running debate over how bird flight evolved. In the so-called cursorial scenario, the ability to fly emerged in terrestrial dinosaurs that raced across the ground with their arms outstretched and leaped into the air after prey or out of harm’s way, their wing feathers providing lift. The arboreal scenario, in contrast, supposes that flight arose in tree-dwelling dinosaurs that were built for gliding and started flapping their arms in order to stay aloft longer.

In 2003 a feathered dinosaur fossil came to light that was purported to elucidate the question of how flight evolved. The roughly 125-million-year-old specimen exhibited evidence of feathers on its hind limbs in addition to its forelimbs, prompting researchers to describe the crow-size animal, Microraptor gui, as a four-winged dinosaur. A startling artist’s reconstruction accompanied the description of the fossil remains, showing the bird flying with its hindlimbs spread out to the side, as if doing a split. The authors argued that the feathered hindlimbs, together with the forelimb wings, acted as an airfoil to help the animal glide. Critics begged to differ.
The new work paints a different picture of how Microraptor’s enigmatic hindlimbs functioned. In two presentations given on October 20 at the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) in Raleigh, N.C., Michael Habib and Justin Hall of the University of Southern California argued that the hindlimbs would have been generally held under the body during steady flight and then deployed to produce rotation movement (roll) or left-right movement (yaw) during unsteady maneuvers such as turning. The team reported that its mathematical modeling indicates that Microraptor’s hindwings would have enabled it to turn twice as fast as a two-winged animal—handy for dodging trees in its cluttered environment. Complimenting the hindlimb’s role in turning and braking, the tail of Microraptor controlled up-down movement (pitch), the researchers say. “A combination of pitch control by the tail, roll generation by the ‘hindwings’ and multi-purpose control by the main wings would have made Microraptor a highly maneuverable animal,” Habib noted.

“This study provides a plausible mechanism by which dinosaurs that otherwise have strongly Velociraptor-like bodies could take to the air and control themselves while in flight,” Hall remarked in a statement to the press. “Obviously crashing is bad for the long-term health of the animal, but until now we had little idea how the earliest flying dinosaurs avoided such catastrophes given their relatively simple wing structure.” Habib added that this so-called distributed control system may have been an independent experiment in flight that had no bearing on the evolution of bird flight, or that it could represent an intermediate phase in the evolution of bird flight, after which most control function shifted to the forelimbs. The presentations were co-authored by David Hone of the Queen Mary, University of London, and Luis Chiappe of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Not everyone is convinced by the team’s arguments. Kevin Padian of the University of California at Berkeley, an expert on bird evolution, observed that the presentations focused on the effect of the hindlimb on a gliding animal instead of one that flapped its wings. Last year at the SVP meeting he presented evidence that gliders and flyers are completely unrelated to each other. He says that “there is not a shred of evidence that says gliding is involved in the evolution of flapping flight.” He questioned why the team’s model would focus on gliding parameters when the forelimb shape was consistent with flapping, not gliding, and the hindlimb would have generated so much drag.

About the Author: Kate Wong is an editor and writer at Scientific American covering paleontology, archaeology and life sciences. Follow on Twitter @katewong.

 

Dino Fossil Dealer Involved in Black Market, Prosecutors Allege

From LiveScience:  Dino Fossil Dealer Involved in Black Market, Prosecutors Allege

NEW YORK — A fossil dealer, who faces criminal charges related to illegally importing dinosaur fossils, had his first day in a New York federal criminal court on Monday (Oct. 22).
The fossil dealer, Eric Prokopi, was arrested at his home last week in Florida and released on bail. The Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office is charging Prokopiwith crimes related to the importation, receipt and sale of dinosaur fossils, mostly from Mongolia. In New York, Assistant U.S. Attorney Martin Bell argued the extent of Prokopi's alleged involvement in an "underground market" for dinosaur fossils and his potential earnings from the sale of fossils necessitated a substantial increase to his bail. Prokopi's attorney, Georges Lederman, argued that bail restrictions should be relaxed. Lederman pointed out that the publicity surrounding this case has made his client "radioactive" to potential clients.
“The notion that anybody would buy a single fossil from him at this point in time is absurd,” Lederman said.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Pitman compromised, raising Prokopi's bail from $100,000 to $250,000, but released him from home detention as Lederman had requested.
Dino dispute
The criminal charges Prokopi faces are the latest development in an international ownership dispute over the fossilized remains of a Tarbosaurus bataar, an Asian relative to T. rex, which Prokopi restored and attempted to sell at auction in May. [Album: A Tarbosaurus Travels from Auction to Court Room]
Mongolian President Elbegdorj Tsakhia intervened, saying that the fossils were taken illegally from his country, a claim supported by paleontologists who examined the skeleton.
Federal officials responded with an attempt to take possession of the Tarbosaurus fossilsthrough a property forfeiture lawsuit, which Prokopi has fought. If the U.S. government's civil case is successful, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara has said the Tarbosaurus fossils will be returned to Mongolia.
A Mongolian claim
Although the case is playing out in U.S. federal court, Mongolian law is an important element. Mongolian officials and the U.S. Attorney's office maintain that Mongolian law makes vertebrate fossils found within its borders state property, so exporting them to the United States is illegal. Prosecutors allege Prokopi smuggled fossils into the country by making false statements on customs forms. [Image Gallery: Dinosaur Fossils]
Meanwhile, Prokopi's attorneys in both the civil and criminal proceedings have contended that, in spite of paleontologists' reports, the federal government will not be able to prove the fossils came from Mongolia.. The attorneys also argue that Mongolian law is ambiguous on the matter, as well as inaccessible to an American like Prokopi. His civil attorneys have cited a lack of guidance regarding how customs forms should be properly completed.
The government added new fossils to its case during the bail discussion on Monday. Bell stated that after federal agents arrived at Prokopi's Gainesville, Fla., home on Wednesday (Oct. 17) with an arrest warrant, a truck arrived to deliver a 6-foot (1.82 meter), 400-pound (181 kilograms) crate containing fossils from a dinosaur called an Oviraptor mongoliensis, which could sell for more than $75,000.
The dinosaur's name refers to its Mongolian origin, and its coincidental arrival reinforces Prokopi's pattern of involvement in a market for dinosaur fossils taken illegally from Mongolia, Bell said.
Lederman countered that the federal government had no proof these fossils belonged to Prokopi. The owner, in fact, sent them so Prokopi could restore them; the restoration of fossils is a major source of business for Prokopi, Lederman said.
During the bail discussion, Bell also produced a handwritten note found in Prokopi's home. It discussed a second Tarbosaurus, which Prokopi hoped to sell, he said.
A black market in fossils?
Prosecutors have sought to portray Prokopi as participating in a black market for dinosaur fossils, going so far as to describe him in a press release as a "one-man black market in prehistoric fossils." On Monday, Bell said a lack of enforcement has allowed illegal sales to flourish, and, indeed, fossils of probable Mongolian origin are not difficult to find for salein auction catalogs or on eBay.
Prokopi has contested the prosecutors' portrayal. In a statement issued in June, about the time federal officials seized the Tarbosaurus he put up for auction, he wrote: "I'm just a guy in Gainesville, Florida trying to support my family, not some international bone smuggler like I have been portrayed by some in the media."
Prokopi is charged with one count of conspiracy to smuggle illegal goods, possess stolen property and make false statements; one count of smuggling goods into the United States; one count of interstate sale and receipt of stolen goods.

 

Shreveport, LA: Dinosaur exhibit provides education, family fun

From Shreveport Times:  Dinosaur exhibit provides education, family fun

This weekend at the Shreveport Convention Center, families got a chance to experience the walk-through exhibit, which consisted of replica dinosaurs, dinosaur environmental scenes, rides, videos and other dinosaur-related activities.
“It’s an educational show,” said Steve Rosholt, the show manager. “So once the kids come in, there’s a lot of things they can see, touch. There’s lots of different plaques that have different information about every dinosaur we have in there.”
The exhibit showcased over 60 animatronic dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus, Iguanodon, Triceratops and Utahraptor. Some dinosaurs came to life with the push of button, providing life-like sound and motion for all to see.
“It’s not a lot of stuff for children in Shreveport, so it gives families a chance to come out and have a good time together,” said Sasha Odom, of Shreveport. “My son loves dinosaurs. He liked going through telling us the names of the dinosaurs.”
“Discover the Dinosaurs” was designed to take children back in time to be able to experience how dinosaurs once lived.
“I think it is very educational,” said Brianna McCollough, of Shreveport. “We haven’t had anything in Shreveport that talked about dinosaurs. It is hands-on and something the kids can learn from.”
McCollough brought along her three children so they could learn about the prehistoric period. Each one of her children took away something different from the exhibit.
“I like the Dino Theatre,” said 9-year old Bradley McCollough.
“I like the Dino Dig,” said 7-year old Jaylie McCollough.
“I like all the dinosaurs,” said 2-year old Grayson McCollough.
Children dug deep into the Dino Dig, a sand plot, which allowed them to brush the bones of different dinosaurs. Others crowded into the Dino Theater where movies showed periods ranging from Triassic to the Jurassic to the Cretaceous.
“Educational things coming to the city is always good,” said Charles Williams, of Shreveport. “Kids are like sponges, they soak it up.”

 

 

Triceratops: Facts about the Three-horned Dinosaur

From LiveScience:  Triceratops: Facts about the Three-horned Dinosaur

Triceratops, with its three horns and bony frill around the back of its head, is one of the more recognizable dinosaurs. Its name is a combination of Greek syllables tri-, meaning "three," kéras, meaning "horn," and ops, meaning "face."

 Triceratops roamed North America about 68 million to 65 million years ago, toward the end of the Cretaceous Period. There were several species in the genus Triceratops, most notably T. horridus and T. prorsus. There is some debate about whether Torosaurus was a separate genus or a Triceratops in its mature form. There was also a two-horned dinosaur named Diceratops, which some paleontologists think was another species of Triceratops.
About 50 Triceratops skulls and partial skeletons have been found, so paleontologists have a lot of material available to help them get a clear picture of the dinosaur.
Triceratops was about 26 feet to 29.5 feet (7.9 meters to 9 meters) long; 9.5 feet to 9.8 feet (2.9 meters to 3 meters) high and weighed 13,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds (5,909 kilograms to 11,818 kilograms).
It had strong limbs to move its massive body. The forelimbs, which were shorter than the rear ones, each had five toes; the rear limbs had four toes each. The first three toes, or hooves, on the front limbs bore the animal's weight while the other were vestigial, lacking any obvious purpose. Recent studies have suggested that Triceratops' posture was upright like an elephant's rather than a sprawling, elbows-out posture like a lizard's.

Mounted version of one of the juvenile Triceratops skulls from Hell Creek Formation in Montana.

The head of Triceratops was huge, some making up one-third of the entire length of the dinosaur's body. The largest skull specimen is calculated to have been about 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) long when complete, making it the largest known skull of all land animals at that time. Its eyes were set to the sides of the skull to provide a better view of potential predators.
Two massive horns, which were about 3 feet (1 meter) long, were above each eye and a smaller one was on the snout. Paleontologists say it's likely that the horns were used in combat against other horned dinosaurs, mating and establishing a pecking order in a herd. However, paleontologists do not believe Triceratops was confrontational — charging like a bull; there is stronger evidence that the horns were used more as a protective tool, especially when its young were endangered.
Because of its large size, Triceratops could only move at 10 mph (16 kph). Being a prime target for Tyrannosauruses looking for a meal, it had to battle its enemies rather than try to outrun them. Some scientists think the frill — also known as a flounce — acted as a type of body armor. It also may have played a role in regulating body temperature. While other prehistoric animals had frills, Triceratops is the only known species to have such an adornment that was supported by bones.
The skin of Triceratops was believed to be covered in bristle-like formations, which is unique and not seen on other dinosaurs. This indicates that Triceratops may at one point have had feathers, which would have helped regulate body temperature.
What did Triceratops eat?
Triceratops was an herbivore, existing mostly on shrubs and other plant life. Its beak-like mouth was well-suited for crunching on tougher plants and trees avoided by other herbivores, providing it with a wealth of food. It also likely used its horns to tip over taller trees.
It had up to 800 teeth that were constantly being replenished. To fit all of those teeth in its mouth, they were in groups called batteries — with each battery having 36 to 40 teeth stacked in three to five columns.
Fossil discoveries
In 1887, the first bones of a Triceratops were discovered in Denver and were sent to Othniel Charles Marsh. At first, Marsh believed it was a bison. It wasn't until more Triceratops bones were found in 1888 that Marsh gave the beast the name Triceratops.
While no complete skeleton has been unearthed, partial skeletons have been found in Montana, South Dakota, Colorado and Wyoming, as well as in Canada in the Saskatchewan and Alberta areas. Triceratops was confined to North America because the continent had already split from Europe and, along with South America, had begun to drift across the ocean. [Tiny & Old: Images of Triceratops Ancestors]
Specimens representing life stages from hatchling to adult have been unearthed. Triceratops fossils have generally been found in coastal lowland sediments.
Although Triceratopses are commonly portrayed as herding animals, there is currently little evidence that they lived in herds. Bone beds of other species of horned dinosaurs have been discovered with bones from hundreds or thousands of animals. To date, there is only one documented Triceratops bone bed.
In 1997, a baby Triceratops skull, along with a few vertebrae, teeth and bony tendons, were discovered in the Montana portion of the Hell Creek Formation by amateur fossil hunter Harley Garbani.
From 2000 to 2010 alone, more than 40 complete or partial skulls were discovered in the Hell Creek Formation, an area covering the Eastern Badlands of Montana, Southwestern South Dakota, and Southwestern North Dakota.

Australia: What should we call the dinosaur heading to Coolum?

From Fraser Coast Chronicle:  What should we call the dinosaur heading to Coolum?

CREATURES from prehistoric times will inhabit Palmer Coolum Resort from next week as a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex becomes the first of many Jurassic beasts to take residence at the Sunshine Coast tourism icon.
At over 8.5 metres tall and 20 metres long, the huge dinosaur will cut an imposing figure among the resort's foliage.
But Coolum's T-Rex will be far from statuesque in his new home. Mechanical movements including a swaying tail, moving arms, claws and a breathing stomach will all bring the model of the world's largest ever carnivore to life.
And the big lizard's lifelike animations don't end there. A hungry mouth that opens and closes, dark blinking eyes and full head movements, coupled with a guttural prehistoric roar, will all help Coolum's newest resident mark his territory.
Loneliness is unlikely to be an issue for too long either with Palmer Coolum Resort's owner, Professor Clive Palmer, saying the T-Rex will be joined by many, many more of his kind over the coming months. 
"The arrival of the T-Rex is very exciting because it marks the beginning of dinosaurs coming to Coolum," Professor Palmer said.
"We will eventually have a dinosaur park that contains over 160 dinosaurs with each one scientifically classified.
"It will be the biggest dinosaur park in the world and it's going to happen right here at Palmer Coolum Resort. The park will be a great attraction and everyone should come to see the first T-Rex - he really is terrific," Professor Palmer declared."

Note that readers of this blog can't vote in the poll below, I just wanted you to see the names they're coming up with in Aussie.

Reader poll

What should Clive Palmer call his new dinosaur?

• C-Rex (in Clive's honour)
• Tee-Rex (think golf course)
• Clive Junior
• Palmersaurous
• Deanno
• or view results

 

MA: Treasure hunting at the Harvard Flea Market

From WickedLocal:  Treasure hunting at the Harvard Flea Market 

Harvard —The Harvard Flea Market has been an annual staple in Harvard since 1972, when it was sponsored by the League of Women Voters. Since then, the market has grown substantially, often attracting more than 1000 attendees.

“The tradition of the Harvard Flea Market is as vibrant today as it was over 40 years ago,” said Chrissy Yoo, 2012 Harvard Flea Market Co-Chairman.
For the fifth consecutive year, the League of Women Voters and the Harvard Schools Trust co-sponsored the event. All net proceeds from the Oct. 6 flea market will be split between the two organizations, said Heidi Creighton, of the Board of Directors, Harvard Schools Trust.
“The cooperation between the two non-profits is very nice,” Creighton said. “Volunteers from both organizations are what makes this day run.”
Each year, thousands of people crowd the grounds of the Bromfield School to browse an eclectic mix of stalls displaying antiques and collectibles.
While the forecast for Saturday called for rain, the weather pleasantly surpassed expectations – the perfect day to hunt for treasures.
My first stop was a small, unassuming booth where Mary Martha Bigham was selling vintage pins and small pocket-sized novelties.
“I used to come with my sister – she did this for a long time,” Bigham said. “Now I come and sell things.”
Eager to find a gem, I browsed through glass cases holding jeweled brooches, vintage pins and even an impressively preserved tintype portrait of a well-dressed young man.
In the end, an old pocket watch on a chain caught my eye, as it reminded me of the frenzied White Rabbit, of Alice in Wonderland, running late yet again to another important engagement.
“The turn out hasn’t been bad,” Bigham said. “A lot more people than I expected came out – I think because of the weather.” She recalled a few years ago when the flea market had been canceled due to heavy rains. “You can’t park cars on a muddy wet field,” she laughed.
Three stalls down, something flashy caught my eye. Patty Sjoberg’s antique and estate jewelry booth was attracting a sizable crowd.
I wandered over to Sjoberg’s table to find cases full of dazzling, polished works of jeweled art. Blue, green and red stones set in necklaces and bracelets caught the light and reflected it back to shoppers. Sjoberg’s booth was full of baubles, along with vintage furs, authentic cowboy boots, fancy feathered hats and handbags, what she termed, “treasures.”

 Sjoberg said she gets much of her inventory from estate sales.

“I sell vintage and antique jewelry and much more. It’s a lot of fun to do this,” she said.
The Charlton resident pointed out her vintage Venetian glass jewelry collection comprised of sparkling glass beads in rich blues, golds and reds. She said the jewelry dated to the 1920s and the beads were handmade by artisans.
“The colors are just great,” Sjoberg said. “These are beautiful and vibrant colors.”
I thanked Sjoberg and headed on my way, in search of more hidden treasures among the maze of booths.
At the Russell Geologics booth, I was surprised to see a well-preserved saber tooth tiger skull. Dr. Alan Russell, a retired professor of vertebrate paleontology welcomed me with a warm smile.
“Most people have a sofa or chairs in their living room. I have a 22 foot Allosaurus in mine,” he laughed. “Actually, I probably have about six or seven dinosaurs in my house,” he said.
It was not difficult to see why children were crowding around the tables. Geodes, shark teeth, polished stones, trilobite and starfish fossils, dinosaur teeth, dinosaur footprints and slabs of colorful crystals were on sale at incredibly low prices. Some lizard teeth were selling for as low as 25 cents.
“We’ve been here annually for about the past six or seven years,” Russell said. “We try to keep the prices low enough that the kids can get something that they want.”
Russell pulled out a small slab of polished brown stone.
“You know how people say ‘In the beginning?’ Well this was the beginning,” he said, handing me the stone. “That’s preserved algae from approximately 3.46 billion years ago,” he said, explaining that the blue-green algae preserved in the stone was the oldest evidence of life known on Earth.
Tearing myself away from the booth, I headed over to the Harvard Lion’s Club’s refreshment stand for a hotdog and a chat with Harvard Lion Bob Kinnee.
“We are here every year,” he said. “The Lion’s Club is one of the staples here.”
After lunch, it was time to look for furniture and other household items.
Carl Brezak, of North Berwick, Maine, was there for the first time, showing antique wooden furniture and décor.
“I’ve done other shows but this is my first time here,” Brezak said. “I would definitely come back. You learn a lesson at every show and take it with you to the next one.”
Brezak held up a hand-carved African mask from Bali, a city in the west-African country of Cameroon.
“I bought that from a man who was from Africa. It’s hand carved and very detailed. Look at the carvings, they are very well done and very detailed,” he said.
My final stop was at a large booth run by Charlene D'Onofrio of Upton. The tables displayed groups of beautiful English bone china teacups and saucers with gold trim. Each cup sold for $5.
D'Onofrio said her table displays work best when she groups items together so they catch customers’ eyes, as she did with the teacups.
“I do try to have something for everyone,” she said. “Variety is important.”
In the center of her display, D'Onofrio placed six small wooden Hitchcock chairs, pristine artifacts of the 19th century Industrial Revolution. The set was priced at $650.
“This set is a very popular item,” she said. “Watch how many people stop by to look at it while we talk.”
D'Onofrio, a retired teacher, said the chairs were American originals and were America's first factory-produced chair by a now-defunct Connecticut furniture company. The chair was named after its designer, Connecticut cabinetmaker Lambert Hitchcock.
As we spoke, four groups of shoppers stopped to examine the chairs.
“Are these really Hitchcock chairs?” asked one woman.
“Those are beautiful,” said a man as he passed by the booth.

Ireland: Dinosaur request wasn't too big for conference planner

From the Ibdependent: ie: Dinosaur request wasn't too big for conference planner

Organising a gala dinner in the shadow of a Tyrannosaurus rex isn't what you might expect from a conference organiser. Yet this is what Chris Nolan found herself doing as co-owner of corporate conference planner, venuesworld.com.
The Dublin-based company describes itself as a "one-stop shop" for individuals organising business conferences (whether that be the hotel venue, airport transfers to the hotel, gala dinner, etc). The company has local teams in 30 countries and most of the conferences organised by venuesworld.com are outside of Ireland.
Ms Nolan joined the company in 2005. She and fellow co-owner, John Burke, bought the company from Fintan Drury's Platinum One Group in 2008.
Some of the company's well-known clients include Intel in the US and Ernst & Young in the Netherlands.
It was for Intel that the company recently organised the gala dinner amidst the dinosaur exhibition -- which includes a T-rex skeleton -- in San Francisco's California Academy of Sciences.
The British arm of the mountain bike company Trek Bikes is another client. "We organised a 10-day event for Trek Bikes, and as part of that we arranged mountain bike trails in the hills of Frankfurt. It was a new product launch, so people came to test out the bikes," said Ms Nolan.
The company receives over €130m-worth of conference enquiries a year -- and converts about 15 per cent of those into business.

 

Velociraptor: Facts about the 'Speedy Thief'

Sign inRegister Account Profile Newsletter Favorites Activity Recent Activity Email notifications Display settings PM My news Add news filter Follow us Facebook Twitter Breaking news Health news Biology news Technology and Electronics Space news Physics and Nanotech Google Google toolbar button Google IG module Chrome extension Digg Newsletter RSS news feeds Latest news Spotlight news Feature and Editorials More Mobile Apps iPhone apps PhysOrg News Lite PhysOrg News Full Medical & Health News iPad apps PhysOrg News Lite PhysOrg News HD Android apps PhysOrg Science News Lite PhysOrg Science News Medical & Health News (free) Medical & Health News BlackBerry apps PhysOrg.com News Amazon Kindle Science and Research News Space and Earth News Physics and Nanotechnology Health and Medicine News Technology and Electronics Biology and Chemistry News Text-to-Speech Podcasts iTunes More Quick nav Feature stories Weblog & Reports Archive Video Podcasts Help Suggest a story idea Send feedback PhysOrg FAQ Sponsored account About us More Search advanced search Science and technology news Home Nanotechnology Physics Space & Earth Electronics Technology Chemistry Biology Medicine & Health Other Sciences Mathematics Archaeology & Fossils Other Social Sciences Economics & Business Researchers work across fields to uncover information about hadrosaur teeth October 11, 2012 by Cindy Spence Hadrosauroidea Enlarge Family tree of the Hadrosauroidea. Representative genera of each tribe are shown to scale. Credit: Wikipedia/GNU (Phys.org)—An unusual collaboration between researchers in two disparate fields resulted in a new discovery about the teeth of 65-million-year-old dinosaurs. Ads by Google Dental Implant Warnings - What You Should Know Before Getting Dental Implants. Read Expert Advice - symptomfind.com/CosmeticDentalCare With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old. Ads by Google Living With Dentures - Live Better With False Teeth. Explore Denture Advice And Tips. - www.DentureLiving.com/NewDentures Erickson said reptilian dinosaurs have been dismissed as simplistic creatures in their feeding and dental structure. They were herbivores, their teeth composed of enamel and dentine. The fossil record did little to contradict that. Testing with nanoindenters and microtribometers, however, proved the conventional wisdom wrong. "Hadrosaurs' teeth were incredibly complicated, among the most complex of any animal," Sawyer said. "These dinosaurs had developed a lot of tricks." The duck-billed hadrosaur was a toothy creature with up to 1,400 teeth, Erickson said. The teeth migrated across the chewing surface, with sharp, enamel-edged front teeth moving sideways to become grinding teeth as the teeth matured. The adaptation allowed hadrosaurs to bite off chunks of bark and stems and chew them to a digestible mush, leading Erickson to describe them as "walking pulp mills." The teeth wore down at the rate of 1 millimeter per day, cycling through the jaw like a conveyor belt, before falling out or being swallowed. The dinosaurs lost about 1,800 teeth a year, leaving behind plenty of fossils for testing. When the fossils emerged from batteries of tests, the researchers found six tissues in the tooth structure, not two. "Modern tools told us there were different materials in there," said Sawyer, who is also a UF Research Foundation Professor and Distinguished Teaching Scholar. Erickson said the work could not have been accomplished without Sawyer's lab, "arguably the best tribological lab in the world," and said he is excited about the possibilities for new avenues of research. There are drawers full of fossils in collections around the world that may have more information to yield. Sawyer agrees, and says that more engineering data could well be buried in fossils. "Perhaps now it makes sense to take some of that fossil record, when we have other pieces of the record, and start to do things like sectioning and histology," Sawyer said. "There are opportunities now with modern scientific tools to probe their mechanical and tribological properties. If we treat a fossil as a modern material, what happens? Do the mechanical properties track?" The collaborative nature of the Florida university system was a key to getting the work done, Sawyer said, as was the funding his research gets from the University of Florida Foundation. "It took us five years to do this because it was always a side project and wasn't funded. We could chew on it at our own pace," Sawyer said. "This is exactly what you hope for when you endow research, that people will take those funds and do things that are scientifically significant." Journal reference: Science search and more info website Provided by University of Florida search and more info website print this article email this article 0 text-to-speech save as pdf send feedback share to facebook share to twitter share to linkedin share to google share view popular send feedback to editors 4.5 /5 (2 votes) 1 2 3 4 5 Please register or sign in to add a comment. 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Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

Family tree of the Hadrosauroidea. Representative genera of each tribe are shown to scale. Credit: Wikipedia/GNU (Phys.org)—An unusual collaboration between researchers in two disparate fields resulted in a new discovery about the teeth of 65-million-year-old dinosaurs.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

Family tree of the Hadrosauroidea. Representative genera of each tribe are shown to scale. Credit: Wikipedia/GNU (Phys.org)—An unusual collaboration between researchers in two disparate fields resulted in a new discovery about the teeth of 65-million-year-old dinosaurs.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

From LiveScience: Velociraptor: Facts about the 'Speedy Thief'

Velociraptor — "raptor" for short — roamed the Earth about 75 million to 71 million years ago toward the end of the Cretaceous Period, which was the glory days of the dinosaurs.

Velociraptor was named in 1924 by Henry Fairfield Osborn, president of the American Museum of Natural History. He bestowed the name on this dinosaur, which is derived from the Latin words "velox" (swift) and "raptor" (robber or plunderer), as an apt description of its survival tactics. Earlier that year, Osborn had called the dinosaur "Ovoraptor djadochtari" in an article in the popular press, but was later referred to as Velociraptor in scientific journals and papers.

Velociraptor is one of the most bird-like dinosaurs ever discovered. It was small and fast, and the sickle-shaped claw on the second toe of each foot made it a formidable predator. A special bone in its wrist allowed it to swivel its wrist sideways in a flapping motion and to fold its arm against its body like a bird. This motion allowed it to snap its arms forward to grab fleeing prey and is an important part of the flight stroke in modern birds.
CREDIT: Todd Marshall

There were two species of Velociraptors. Fossils of the V. mongoliensis species have been discovered in Mongolia. A second species, V. osmolskae, was named in 2008 for skull material discovered in Inner Mongolia, China.

A member of the dromaeosaurid family, Velociraptor was roughly the size of a small turkey and smaller than others in this family of dinosaurs, which included the Deinonychus and Achillobator. Adult Velociraptors were up to 6.8 feet (2 meters) long, 1.6 feet (0.5 meter) tall at the hip and weighed up to 33 pounds (15 kilograms).
Like Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor had a prominent role in the "Jurassic Park" movies, but scientists do not believe it resembled anything close to its Hollywood depiction in terms of size or appearance. While the Velociraptor was featherless in the movies, paleontologists discovered quill knobs on a well-preserved forearm from Mongolia in 2007, indicating Velociraptor had feathers. The feathers were just for show — most likely to attract a mate, regulate body temperature and help females protect their eggs — as Velociraptor did not fly.
Although many of its closely related ancestors could fly, Velociraptor is thought to have been grounded due to its weight in proportion to its short forelimbs. Scientists theorize that the short forelimbs could have been the evolutionary leftovers of what were once wings.
Although it shared many of the same physical characteristics with other dromaeosaurs, Velociraptor's distinguishing features included a long skull that was concave on the upper surface and convex on the lower. It also had a distinctive upturned snout.
Velociraptor's tail of hard, fused bones was inflexible and not useful as a weapon but it kept him balanced as he ran, hunted and jumped. Scientists estimate that a Velociraptor could jump as high as 10 feet (3 meters) straight in the air.
Velociraptor, like other dromaeosaurids, had two large hand-like appendages with three curved claws. The claws were used the same way as birds of prey use talons — as hooks to keep victims from escaping.
The jaws were lined with 26 to 28 widely spaced teeth on each side, each more strongly serrated on the back edge than the front, making them ideal for catching and securing quick-moving prey. A sickle-shaped retractable claw on each hindfoot was likely used to finish the job of killing its prey by piercing its throat.
The moniker of "speedy thief" is a bit misleading. The Velociraptor may have been able to run up to roughly 40 mph (60 kph) on its two skinny legs, but it could only sustain that speed for very short bursts.
What did Velociraptor eat?
A carnivore, it is believed that the Velociraptor survived on mostly small animals, such as reptiles, amphibians and other smaller, slower dinosaurs.
The horned dinosaur Protoceratops, a herbivore, was a favorite meal of the Velociraptor, according to paleontologists. It also preyed on other herbivore dinosaurs.
Fossil discoveries
The first Velociraptor fossil was discovered by Peter Kaisen on the first American Museum of Natural History expedition to the Outer Mongolian Gobi Desert in August 1923. The skull was crushed but complete and one of the toe claws was also recovered.
Velociraptor fossils have been found in the Gobi Desert, which covers southern Mongolia and parts of northern China. In all, about a dozen Velociraptor fossils exist and all known specimens of Velociraptor mongoliensis were discovered in the Djadochta Formation (also spelled Djadokhta), in the Mongolian province of Ömnögovi. [Image Gallery: Dinosaur Fossils]
While North American teams were not permitted in communist Mongolia during the Cold War, Soviet and Polish scientists collaborated with Mongolian scientists on expeditions that recovered several more Velociraptor specimens. On one of these expeditions in 1971, a Polish-Mongolian team discovered the fossils of a Velociraptor and a Protoceratops in the midst of battle. They were preserved by a sand dune that collapsed on them.
Between 1988 and 1990, a joint Chinese-Canadian team discovered Velociraptor remains in northern China. In 1990, a joint Mongolian-American expedition to the Gobi, led by the American Museum of Natural History and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, turned up several well-preserved skeletons.
— Kim Ann Zimmermann

 

 

Sign inRegister Account Profile Newsletter Favorites Activity Recent Activity Email notifications Display settings PM My news Add news filter Follow us Facebook Twitter Breaking news Health news Biology news Technology and Electronics Space news Physics and Nanotech Google Google toolbar button Google IG module Chrome extension Digg Newsletter RSS news feeds Latest news Spotlight news Feature and Editorials More Mobile Apps iPhone apps PhysOrg News Lite PhysOrg News Full Medical & Health News iPad apps PhysOrg News Lite PhysOrg News HD Android apps PhysOrg Science News Lite PhysOrg Science News Medical & Health News (free) Medical & Health News BlackBerry apps PhysOrg.com News Amazon Kindle Science and Research News Space and Earth News Physics and Nanotechnology Health and Medicine News Technology and Electronics Biology and Chemistry News Text-to-Speech Podcasts iTunes More Quick nav Feature stories Weblog & Reports Archive Video Podcasts Help Suggest a story idea Send feedback PhysOrg FAQ Sponsored account About us More Search advanced search Science and technology news Home Nanotechnology Physics Space & Earth Electronics Technology Chemistry Biology Medicine & Health Other Sciences Mathematics Archaeology & Fossils Other Social Sciences Economics & Business Researchers work across fields to uncover information about hadrosaur teeth October 11, 2012 by Cindy Spence Hadrosauroidea Enlarge Family tree of the Hadrosauroidea. Representative genera of each tribe are shown to scale. Credit: Wikipedia/GNU (Phys.org)—An unusual collaboration between researchers in two disparate fields resulted in a new discovery about the teeth of 65-million-year-old dinosaurs. Ads by Google Dental Implant Warnings - What You Should Know Before Getting Dental Implants. Read Expert Advice - symptomfind.com/CosmeticDentalCare With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old. Ads by Google Living With Dentures - Live Better With False Teeth. Explore Denture Advice And Tips. - www.DentureLiving.com/NewDentures Erickson said reptilian dinosaurs have been dismissed as simplistic creatures in their feeding and dental structure. They were herbivores, their teeth composed of enamel and dentine. The fossil record did little to contradict that. Testing with nanoindenters and microtribometers, however, proved the conventional wisdom wrong. "Hadrosaurs' teeth were incredibly complicated, among the most complex of any animal," Sawyer said. "These dinosaurs had developed a lot of tricks." The duck-billed hadrosaur was a toothy creature with up to 1,400 teeth, Erickson said. The teeth migrated across the chewing surface, with sharp, enamel-edged front teeth moving sideways to become grinding teeth as the teeth matured. The adaptation allowed hadrosaurs to bite off chunks of bark and stems and chew them to a digestible mush, leading Erickson to describe them as "walking pulp mills." The teeth wore down at the rate of 1 millimeter per day, cycling through the jaw like a conveyor belt, before falling out or being swallowed. The dinosaurs lost about 1,800 teeth a year, leaving behind plenty of fossils for testing. When the fossils emerged from batteries of tests, the researchers found six tissues in the tooth structure, not two. "Modern tools told us there were different materials in there," said Sawyer, who is also a UF Research Foundation Professor and Distinguished Teaching Scholar. Erickson said the work could not have been accomplished without Sawyer's lab, "arguably the best tribological lab in the world," and said he is excited about the possibilities for new avenues of research. There are drawers full of fossils in collections around the world that may have more information to yield. Sawyer agrees, and says that more engineering data could well be buried in fossils. "Perhaps now it makes sense to take some of that fossil record, when we have other pieces of the record, and start to do things like sectioning and histology," Sawyer said. "There are opportunities now with modern scientific tools to probe their mechanical and tribological properties. If we treat a fossil as a modern material, what happens? Do the mechanical properties track?" The collaborative nature of the Florida university system was a key to getting the work done, Sawyer said, as was the funding his research gets from the University of Florida Foundation. "It took us five years to do this because it was always a side project and wasn't funded. We could chew on it at our own pace," Sawyer said. "This is exactly what you hope for when you endow research, that people will take those funds and do things that are scientifically significant." Journal reference: Science search and more info website Provided by University of Florida search and more info website print this article email this article 0 text-to-speech save as pdf send feedback share to facebook share to twitter share to linkedin share to google share view popular send feedback to editors 4.5 /5 (2 votes) 1 2 3 4 5 Please register or sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more Sign in with facebook connect Email Password Forgot your password? Click here to reset it. Notify me via email of follow-up comments posted here Rank 1 2 3 4 5 4.5 /5 (2 votes) Featured Last comments Popular Most shared Partners Physicists extend special relativity beyond the speed of light created Oct 08, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (55) | comments 132 Free program makes computer graphics more realistic created Oct 09, 2012 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (39) | comments 5 Voyager 1 may have left the solar system created Oct 09, 2012 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (33) | comments 17 Is it real? Physicists propose method to determine if the universe is a simulation created Oct 12, 2012 | popularity 4 / 5 (36) | comments 108 Mars rock touched by Curiosity has surprises created Oct 11, 2012 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (25) | comments 19 more news Related Stories created Oct 04, 2012 comments 0 Fossilized teeth—Duck-bill dinosaurs had plant-pulverizing teeth more advanced than horses created Jul 13, 2011 comments 0 Stem cells grow fully functional new teeth created Oct 31, 2011 comments 0 'Ay, there's the rub': Researchers strive to identify the atomic origins of wear created Feb 28, 2012 comments 0 T. Rex's killer smile revealed Tags late cretaceous period, dinosaur teeth, 65 million years, hadrosaur, new discovery, paleontologist, material properties, biomechanics, fossil, teeth, journal science Relevant PhysicsForums posts Darwinism: Where is the theory? createdOct 12, 2012 Amygdala help createdOct 11, 2012 How much are we genetically pre-programmed createdOct 11, 2012 How did torsion evolve in snails? createdOct 09, 2012 Any contraindications of inhaling pure O2? createdOct 09, 2012 Western Blot Alternatives? createdOct 09, 2012 More from Physics Forums - Biology More news stories Science denied: Why does doubt persist? The sign in front of the tall display case at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History lures visitors to "meet one of your oldest relatives." Inside stands a morganucodon, a mouse-like animal ... Other Sciences / Other created Oct 12, 2012 | popularity 3.9 / 5 (17) | comments 77 Fossil of ancient spider attack only one of its type ever discovered (Phys.org)—Researchers have found what they say is the only fossil ever discovered of a spider attack on prey caught in its web – a 100 million-year-old snapshot of an engagement frozen in time. Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils created Oct 08, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (20) | comments 23 | with audio podcast What are the biggest challenges to global democracy? In the new fall issue of the World Policy Journal, the editors liken today's period of politics to an "electoral tsunami." With more of the world's population heading to the polls than ever before, this new issue of WPJ in ... Other Sciences / Social Sciences created Oct 10, 2012 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 13 Quantitative easing only benefits the financial sector, UK research finds (Phys.org)—A review of evidence into Quantitative Easing (QE) has shown that the Government's hope that it will pull the UK out of recession may be unfounded. Other Sciences / Economics & Business created Oct 10, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 11 Complex brains evolved much earlier than previously thought, 520-million-year-old fossilized arthropod confirms Complex brains evolved much earlier than previously thought, as evidenced by a 520-million year old fossilized arthropod with remarkably well-preserved brain structures. Representing the earliest specimen ... Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils created Oct 10, 2012 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (15) | comments 7 | with audio podcast Gene signature validated for oral cancer metastases (HealthDay)—A multigene signature effectively predicts the presence of lymph node metastases in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (OSCC) and oropharynx (OPSCC), according to a study published online ... Methotrexate use linked to reduced mortality in RA (HealthDay)—Use of methotrexate for one year or more is associated with a reduction in the risk of mortality for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published online Oct. 8 in ... Austrian daredevil to make new space jump bid Sunday (Update) An Austrian daredevil is preparing to make a new attempt Sunday to jump from the edge of space, days after his initial bid was aborted at the last minute due to the weather. Chronic stress during pregnancy prevents brain benefits of motherhood, study shows A new study in animals shows that chronic stress during pregnancy prevents brain benefits of motherhood, a finding that researchers suggest could increase understanding of postpartum depression. Cardiovascular IED infections have distinct features, outcomes (HealthDay)—Cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) have distinct clinical features and outcomes, ... Sphere-templated tissue scaffold is a viable subcutaneous implant (HealthDay)—Compared with high-density porous polyethylene (HDPPE) implant materials, sphere-templated poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly[HEMA]) tissue scaffold stimulates a minimal inflammatory response; ... top Home Medical Xpress Search Help What's new About us Contact / FAQ Partners PhysOrg Account Sponsored Account Newsletter RSS feeds iPhone iPad Apps Blackberry App Android App&Widget Amazon Kindle PDA version Feature Stories Weblog & Reports Podcasts Archive Facebook Twitter © Phys.Org™ 2003-2012 Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

Sign inRegister Account Profile Newsletter Favorites Activity Recent Activity Email notifications Display settings PM My news Add news filter Follow us Facebook Twitter Breaking news Health news Biology news Technology and Electronics Space news Physics and Nanotech Google Google toolbar button Google IG module Chrome extension Digg Newsletter RSS news feeds Latest news Spotlight news Feature and Editorials More Mobile Apps iPhone apps PhysOrg News Lite PhysOrg News Full Medical & Health News iPad apps PhysOrg News Lite PhysOrg News HD Android apps PhysOrg Science News Lite PhysOrg Science News Medical & Health News (free) Medical & Health News BlackBerry apps PhysOrg.com News Amazon Kindle Science and Research News Space and Earth News Physics and Nanotechnology Health and Medicine News Technology and Electronics Biology and Chemistry News Text-to-Speech Podcasts iTunes More Quick nav Feature stories Weblog & Reports Archive Video Podcasts Help Suggest a story idea Send feedback PhysOrg FAQ Sponsored account About us More Search advanced search Science and technology news Home Nanotechnology Physics Space & Earth Electronics Technology Chemistry Biology Medicine & Health Other Sciences Mathematics Archaeology & Fossils Other Social Sciences Economics & Business Researchers work across fields to uncover information about hadrosaur teeth October 11, 2012 by Cindy Spence Hadrosauroidea Enlarge Family tree of the Hadrosauroidea. Representative genera of each tribe are shown to scale. Credit: Wikipedia/GNU (Phys.org)—An unusual collaboration between researchers in two disparate fields resulted in a new discovery about the teeth of 65-million-year-old dinosaurs. Ads by Google Dental Implant Warnings - What You Should Know Before Getting Dental Implants. Read Expert Advice - symptomfind.com/CosmeticDentalCare With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old. Ads by Google Living With Dentures - Live Better With False Teeth. Explore Denture Advice And Tips. - www.DentureLiving.com/NewDentures Erickson said reptilian dinosaurs have been dismissed as simplistic creatures in their feeding and dental structure. They were herbivores, their teeth composed of enamel and dentine. The fossil record did little to contradict that. Testing with nanoindenters and microtribometers, however, proved the conventional wisdom wrong. "Hadrosaurs' teeth were incredibly complicated, among the most complex of any animal," Sawyer said. "These dinosaurs had developed a lot of tricks." The duck-billed hadrosaur was a toothy creature with up to 1,400 teeth, Erickson said. The teeth migrated across the chewing surface, with sharp, enamel-edged front teeth moving sideways to become grinding teeth as the teeth matured. The adaptation allowed hadrosaurs to bite off chunks of bark and stems and chew them to a digestible mush, leading Erickson to describe them as "walking pulp mills." The teeth wore down at the rate of 1 millimeter per day, cycling through the jaw like a conveyor belt, before falling out or being swallowed. The dinosaurs lost about 1,800 teeth a year, leaving behind plenty of fossils for testing. When the fossils emerged from batteries of tests, the researchers found six tissues in the tooth structure, not two. "Modern tools told us there were different materials in there," said Sawyer, who is also a UF Research Foundation Professor and Distinguished Teaching Scholar. Erickson said the work could not have been accomplished without Sawyer's lab, "arguably the best tribological lab in the world," and said he is excited about the possibilities for new avenues of research. There are drawers full of fossils in collections around the world that may have more information to yield. Sawyer agrees, and says that more engineering data could well be buried in fossils. "Perhaps now it makes sense to take some of that fossil record, when we have other pieces of the record, and start to do things like sectioning and histology," Sawyer said. "There are opportunities now with modern scientific tools to probe their mechanical and tribological properties. If we treat a fossil as a modern material, what happens? Do the mechanical properties track?" The collaborative nature of the Florida university system was a key to getting the work done, Sawyer said, as was the funding his research gets from the University of Florida Foundation. "It took us five years to do this because it was always a side project and wasn't funded. We could chew on it at our own pace," Sawyer said. "This is exactly what you hope for when you endow research, that people will take those funds and do things that are scientifically significant." Journal reference: Science search and more info website Provided by University of Florida search and more info website print this article email this article 0 text-to-speech save as pdf send feedback share to facebook share to twitter share to linkedin share to google share view popular send feedback to editors 4.5 /5 (2 votes) 1 2 3 4 5 Please register or sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more Sign in with facebook connect Email Password Forgot your password? Click here to reset it. Notify me via email of follow-up comments posted here Rank 1 2 3 4 5 4.5 /5 (2 votes) Featured Last comments Popular Most shared Partners Physicists extend special relativity beyond the speed of light created Oct 08, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (55) | comments 132 Free program makes computer graphics more realistic created Oct 09, 2012 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (39) | comments 5 Voyager 1 may have left the solar system created Oct 09, 2012 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (33) | comments 17 Is it real? Physicists propose method to determine if the universe is a simulation created Oct 12, 2012 | popularity 4 / 5 (36) | comments 108 Mars rock touched by Curiosity has surprises created Oct 11, 2012 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (25) | comments 19 more news Related Stories created Oct 04, 2012 comments 0 Fossilized teeth—Duck-bill dinosaurs had plant-pulverizing teeth more advanced than horses created Jul 13, 2011 comments 0 Stem cells grow fully functional new teeth created Oct 31, 2011 comments 0 'Ay, there's the rub': Researchers strive to identify the atomic origins of wear created Feb 28, 2012 comments 0 T. Rex's killer smile revealed Tags late cretaceous period, dinosaur teeth, 65 million years, hadrosaur, new discovery, paleontologist, material properties, biomechanics, fossil, teeth, journal science Relevant PhysicsForums posts Darwinism: Where is the theory? createdOct 12, 2012 Amygdala help createdOct 11, 2012 How much are we genetically pre-programmed createdOct 11, 2012 How did torsion evolve in snails? createdOct 09, 2012 Any contraindications of inhaling pure O2? createdOct 09, 2012 Western Blot Alternatives? createdOct 09, 2012 More from Physics Forums - Biology More news stories Science denied: Why does doubt persist? The sign in front of the tall display case at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History lures visitors to "meet one of your oldest relatives." Inside stands a morganucodon, a mouse-like animal ... Other Sciences / Other created Oct 12, 2012 | popularity 3.9 / 5 (17) | comments 77 Fossil of ancient spider attack only one of its type ever discovered (Phys.org)—Researchers have found what they say is the only fossil ever discovered of a spider attack on prey caught in its web – a 100 million-year-old snapshot of an engagement frozen in time. Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils created Oct 08, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (20) | comments 23 | with audio podcast What are the biggest challenges to global democracy? In the new fall issue of the World Policy Journal, the editors liken today's period of politics to an "electoral tsunami." With more of the world's population heading to the polls than ever before, this new issue of WPJ in ... Other Sciences / Social Sciences created Oct 10, 2012 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 13 Quantitative easing only benefits the financial sector, UK research finds (Phys.org)—A review of evidence into Quantitative Easing (QE) has shown that the Government's hope that it will pull the UK out of recession may be unfounded. Other Sciences / Economics & Business created Oct 10, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 11 Complex brains evolved much earlier than previously thought, 520-million-year-old fossilized arthropod confirms Complex brains evolved much earlier than previously thought, as evidenced by a 520-million year old fossilized arthropod with remarkably well-preserved brain structures. Representing the earliest specimen ... Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils created Oct 10, 2012 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (15) | comments 7 | with audio podcast Gene signature validated for oral cancer metastases (HealthDay)—A multigene signature effectively predicts the presence of lymph node metastases in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (OSCC) and oropharynx (OPSCC), according to a study published online ... Methotrexate use linked to reduced mortality in RA (HealthDay)—Use of methotrexate for one year or more is associated with a reduction in the risk of mortality for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published online Oct. 8 in ... Austrian daredevil to make new space jump bid Sunday (Update) An Austrian daredevil is preparing to make a new attempt Sunday to jump from the edge of space, days after his initial bid was aborted at the last minute due to the weather. Chronic stress during pregnancy prevents brain benefits of motherhood, study shows A new study in animals shows that chronic stress during pregnancy prevents brain benefits of motherhood, a finding that researchers suggest could increase understanding of postpartum depression. Cardiovascular IED infections have distinct features, outcomes (HealthDay)—Cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) have distinct clinical features and outcomes, ... Sphere-templated tissue scaffold is a viable subcutaneous implant (HealthDay)—Compared with high-density porous polyethylene (HDPPE) implant materials, sphere-templated poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly[HEMA]) tissue scaffold stimulates a minimal inflammatory response; ... top Home Medical Xpress Search Help What's new About us Contact / FAQ Partners PhysOrg Account Sponsored Account Newsletter RSS feeds iPhone iPad Apps Blackberry App Android App&Widget Amazon Kindle PDA version Feature Stories Weblog & Reports Podcasts Archive Facebook Twitter © Phys.Org™ 2003-2012 Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

With the help of University of Florida mechanical engineering professor W. Gregory Sawyer and UF postdoctoral researcher Brandon Krick, Florida State University paleobiologist Gregory Erickson determined the teeth of hadrosaurs—an herbivore from the late Cretaceous period—had six tissues in their teeth instead of two. The results were published in the journal Science Oct. 5. "When something has been in the ground 65 million years, by and large we pick it up and we look at it and say, 'oh, look at what has been preserved.' But we don't mechanically interrogate fossils to see if there is other information," Sawyer said. "When we started to mechanically interrogate these teeth, what we found was all of these properties were preserved, and one other thing: these teeth were a lot more complicated than we thought." For years, Erickson, who has a background in biomechanical engineering and studies bone biomechanics as a paleobiologist, had thought so. So he turned to the UF Tribology Laboratory, which researches the science of friction and surface wear. Engineers don't often see the interesting paleontological questions, Sawyer said. One look at the surface of the dinosaur teeth piqued his interest, however, because he is intrigued by how wear occurs across surfaces with different materials. The shape of the tooth made him think it was much more complex than previously thought. From an engineering perspective, Sawyer said his lab often works with composites that contain different material properties that wear differently, so the question was whether just two materials—enamel and dentine—would wear the way the hadrosaur teeth did. Sawyer and Krick thought not, and turned to nanoindenters and microtribometers. Just a decade ago, a paleontologist might not have asked engineers for help, and they could not have helped him. In the last 10 years, however, Sawyer said advances in engineering—tribology and nanoscience, in particular—make it possible to test more materials, even those millions of years old.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

Family tree of the Hadrosauroidea. Representative genera of each tribe are shown to scale. Credit: Wikipedia/GNU (Phys.org)—An unusual collaboration between researchers in two disparate fields resulted in a new discovery about the teeth of 65-million-year-old dinosaurs.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

Family tree of the Hadrosauroidea. Representative genera of each tribe are shown to scale. Credit: Wikipedia/GNU (Phys.org)—An unusual collaboration between researchers in two disparate fields resulted in a new discovery about the teeth of 65-million-year-old dinosaurs.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp

Family tree of the Hadrosauroidea. Representative genera of each tribe are shown to scale. Credit: Wikipedia/GNU (Phys.org)—An unusual collaboration between researchers in two disparate fields resulted in a new discovery about the teeth of 65-million-year-old dinosaurs.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-fields-uncover-hadrosaur-teeth.html#jCp